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A  Pictorial  History 

of  the 


iagtott 


MARCH  25,  26,  27,  1913 


A  Pictorial  History 


Great  Dayton  Flood 


:-:     :-:     :-:     March  25,  26,  27,  1913 


Prepared  by 

Nellis  R.  Funk 

U 


Dayton,  Ohio 

The  Otterbein  Press 

1913 


Copyright,  1913 

By  the  U.  B.  Publishing  House 

W.  R.  Funk,  Agent 

Dayton,  Ohio 


FOREWORD 

The  terrible  floods  which  devastated  large  parts  of  our  Cen- 
tral States  in  March,  1913,  wrought  the  greatest  havoc  in  the  valley 
of  the  Great  Miami  and  particularly  in  the  city  of  Dayton. 

Among  the  people  of  the  flootled  territory  there  has  risen  a 
great  demand  for  a  reliable  souvenir  in  book  form  of  this  disaster. 
Also  among  those  of  other  parts  of  the  country  there  is  great  in- 
terest concerning  the  details  of  the  great  flood.  Since  Dayton  is 
the  greatest  sufferer  and  the  producer  of  the  most  sensational 
phases  of  the  flood  situation,  this  book  is  presented  from  the  Day- 
ton standpoint  exclusively. 

Words  fail  absolutely  to  tell  such  a  story,  so  this  book  is  of 
necessity  largely  pictorial.  Out  of  many  hundreds  of  pictures  taken 
during  the  flood,  we  have  selected  the  best.  They  show  as  well  as 
pictures  can  what  Dayton  looked  like  when  Main  Street  was  a  river 
twelve  feet  deep. 

This  book  is  produced  to  supply  the  demand  mentioned  above 
but  more  especially  that  it  may  be  instrumental  in  keeping  in  mind 
the  terrors  of  1913.  Great  cities  have  been  visited  by  calamities 
of  this  kind  more  than  once.  It  is  the  hope  of  the  publishers  that 
Dayton  will  not  permit  a  recurrence  of  such  a  disaster.  Our  civic 
calamity  has  brought  out  great  leaders  among  our  citizenship  who 
before  another  year  will  point  the  way  to  a  bigger,  better,  safer,  and 
more  beautiful  Davton.  THE  PUBLISHERS. 


M144583 


CONTENTS 


Descriptive. 

Foreword 3 

Flood  Facts    5-8 

Acknowledgment 25 

Water  Plus  Fire   34 

Map  of  Flood  District 32-33 

"Resolved" 42 

Pictorial. 

Business  District 9-41 

Dayton  View   42-43 

Riverdale  44-47 

North  Dayton    48-53 

South  Park 54-59 

West  Dayton   60-63 


THE  FLOOD 

Its  Cause  and  Some  Effects 


The  cause  of  the  floods  of  March,  1913,  which  devastated  such  a  large  part 
of  our  Middle  States,  was  record-breaking  rainfall.  The  people  of  Dayton  were 
certain  that  the  disaster  was  due  to  the  breaking  of  reservoirs  in  central  and 
western  Ohio.  In  fact  reports  of  the  bursting  of  the  reservoir  at  Lewistown 
were  given  official  circulation  and  thousands  of  people  went  scurrying  panic 
stricken  to  the  hills.  This  was  after  the  crest  of  the  flood  had  passed. 

The  Weather  Department  reports  that  over  central  Ohio  in  the  short  period 
of  forty-eight  hours  there  was  an  average  rainfall  of  five  and  seven-tenth  inches 
and  in  one  district  the  fall  for  this  period  registered  ten  inches.  Over  three 
thousand  square  miles  were  covered  with  water. 

This  unprecedented  rainfall  was  caused  by  the  meeting  of  three  opposing  air 
currents.  One  from  the  west,  which  was  the  tail  end  of  the  cyclone  that  did  such 
great  damage  on  Easter  day  in  Omaha;  another  was  a  cold  current  from  the 
northeast,  and  the  third  was  a  warm  current  from  the  south.  The  collision  of 
these  mighty  air  forces  caused  the  rainfall  which  broke  all  records  for  this  part  of 
the  country. 

The  clouds  bit  off  more  than  the  rivers  could  swallow  so  the  surplus  was 
disgorged  into  our  streets,  mounted  the  front  stoop,  rang  the  bell  and  being 
ignore -i,  broke  in  doors  and  windows,  entering  our  first  floors  in  force.  Some 
of  us  were  driven  for  safety  to  the  up-stairs,  then  to  the  garret,  and  finally  we 
punched  a  hole  in  the  roof  and  clung  to  its  slippery  surface  for  two  nights  and 
days  while  Dame  Nature  first  soaked  us  with  rain  then  chilled  us  with  snow. 
Some  perished,  but  most  of  us  by  the  aid  of  a  thousand  miracles  were  saved. 
We  are  very  busy  now  putting  our  city  into  good  working  order  and  succeeding 
remarkably  well,  but  when  a  moment  comes  for  quiet  thought  we  wonder  in 
a  dazed  sort  of  way,  what  protecting  Power  saved  our  lives,  numbering  so 
many  thousand,  from  a  horrible  death.  And  since  we  knelt  at  our  mother's  knee, 
until  we  gave  up  hope  of  life  on  that  terrible  night,  we  had  perhaps  forgotten 
to  pray. 


If  the  mad:  waters  have  taught  us  a  becoming  humility,  and  that  human  in- 
telligence is  but  microscopic  as  compared  to  the  All  Wise  Creator  of  us  all,  it  may 
be  yet  a  blessing  in  disguise. 

Several  other  causes  assisted  in  accentuating  the  flood  in  the  city  of  Dayton. 
Three  tributary  streams  empty  into  the  Great  Miami  within  one  mile  of  each 
other  inside  the  city  limits  and  it  is  a  strange  fact  that  as  each  stream  enters  the 
ma  •,  river  the  channel  perceptibly  narrows.  At  the  north  where  the  Sillwater 
empties  into  the  Miami  the  channel  between  levees  is  eight  hundred  feet  wide,  a 
half  mile  south  at  the  confluence  of  the  Mad  River,  the  channel  narrows  to  seven 
hundred  feet,  a  little  farther  down.  Wolf  Creek  finds  a  channel  of  about  six  hun- 
dred feet  and  south  of  Dayton  the  combined  volume  of  these  four  streams  must 
negotiate  a  five  hundred  foot  course.  The  N.  C.  R.  lecturer  in  giving  these 
figures  asserts  that  "there  is  nothing  wrong  with  our  river  map  except  that  it  is 
up  side  down." 

For  the  last  fifty  years  property  owners  have  encroached  on  the  river  chan- 
nel and  the  United  States  Government  Commissioners  are  to  blame  for  this 
rather  than  the  city  officials. 

The  river  bottom  has  been  gradually  filled  with  deposits  of  gravel  and 
islands  are  numerous  with  dense  growths  of  underbrush  and  even  trees.  Thus 
at  times  of  extreme  high  water  the  bridges  become  dams,  backing  the  water  up 
dangerously  in  front  of  them.  In  such  a  case  either  the  bridge  or  levees  must  go 
or  the  levees  be  overtopped.  Of  our  six  bridges  spanning  the  main  stream,  the 
four  steele-concrete  structures  held  like  adamant.  The  steel  Fifth  Street  bridge 
and  the  railroad  bridge  were  carried  down.  It  made  little  difference  that  the 
latter  was  weighted  with  loaded  coal  cars  and  when  this  bridge  went  down  the 
water  is  reported  to  have  fallen  eighteen  inches. 

The  three  first  pictures  we  show  on  pages  nine  and  ten  evidence  the  rapidity 
of  the  rising  water  which  first  appeared  at  Main  and  Fourth  streets  at  nine  a.m. 
Forty  minutes  later  it  was  three  feet  deep  and  at  one  p.m.  easily  ten  feet  had 
been  reached  and  of  a  beautiful  city  covering  sixteen  square  miles  over  half  was 
submerged.  As  the  flooded  area  included  the  entire  business  district,  the  mer- 
chandise loss  ran  on  estimate  close  to  $15,000,000.  The  loss  to  rail- 
road property  will  probably  reach  $10,000,000.  Of  local  concerns,  the  Barney 
&  Smith  Car  Company  were  probably  the  heaviest  losers 

After  two  terrible  days,  Thursday  morning  found  people  still  marooned  on 
snow-covered  housetops.  There  was  an  explosion  at  Main  and  Vine  streets. 
No  one  could  swim  the  current,  so  one  man  showed  the  others  a  way  of  escape 
by  walking  three  squares  on  aerial  telephone  cables.  In  this  way  thirty  people 
were  saved.  An  aged  couple  were  marooned  in  a  small  house  only  one  hundred 

§ 


feet  from  dry  land,  but  on  account  of  the  current,  the  rescuers  were  unable  to 
reach  them,  every  boat  being  capsized.  They  were  finally  rescued  by  backing 
freight  cars  in  front  of  the  house  and  using  ladders.  Three  minutes  later  the 
horse  was  washed  from  its  foundation  and  dashed  to  pieces. 

The  National  Cash  Register  Compan^  was  fortunate  in  having  their  own 
water  works,  heating  plant  and  lighting  system.  They  served  two  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  meals  every  day.  The  people  who  prepared  them  were 
not  all  employees  of  the  N.  C.  R.  Women  whose  homes  were  not  in  the  flooded 
districts  came  and  offered  their  services  and  worked  day  and  night.  Sixteen 
thousand  sandwiches  \vere  made  daily  and  distributed  to  men  doing  relief  work. 
Two  thousand  five  hundred  baskets  wrere  given  out  each  day  to  families.  Motor- 
cycle riders  did  excellent  service  by  carrying  messages  and  information  from  one 
relief  station  to  another. 

Other  parts  of  Dayton  did  not  have  the  conveniences  of  the  N.  C.  R.,  but 
they  were  thoroughly  organized  and  got  along  nicely.  St.  Mary's  College  had 
five  hundred  refugees.  Every  room  in  the  Miami  Valley  Hospital  was  filled  with 
patients.  They  had  no  heat  or  water  and  all  the  food  for  the  patients  was  pre- 
pared at  St.  Mary's  College.  Camp  Rhoades,  a  city  of  tents,  is  for  the  N.  C.  R. 
employees  who  were  made  homeless  by  the  flood.  The  tents  are  furnished  with 
heat,  water,  electric  light,  and  other  conveniences. 

A  train  load  of  three  hundred  passengers  was  marooned  for  several  days  in 
the  Union  Station.  All  they  had  to  eat  was  a  case  of  chocolate  creams  which 
some  thoughtful  person  carried  with  him  to  the  second  floor.  Their  diet  for 
two  days  was  chocolate  creams  and  rain  water. 

Complete  show  cases  filled  with  jewelry  floated  out  of  the  windows  of  the 
Newsalt  Je\velry  Store.  Many  churches  were  badly  damaged.  Automobiles 
were  carried  three  or  four  squares  away.  A  street  car  was  buffeted  about  for 
three  hundred  feet  and  finally  landed  in  a  cellar.  Fifteen  hundred  pianos  played 
their  last  tune.  Sheds  were  washed  away  and  some  of  them  landed  on  the 
roofs  of  small  houses.  A  good  story  is  to  the  effect  that  one  house  floated 
four  squares  away,  landed  on  another  foundation,  and  fitted  exactly-.  Quite  a 
discussion  arose  as  to  who  was  the  owner  of  the  house. 

Not  only  property  owners  and  merchants  in  the  cities  were  heavy  losers,  but 
farmers  whose  fertile  farms  were  washed  out  and  nothing  left  but  beds  of  gravel 
and  sand.  Twenty-six  other  cities  were  affected  by  the  flood.  The  real  estate 
loss  is  estimated  at  many  millions. 

Many  people  were  without  food  and  drink  from  forty-eight  to  sixty  hours. 
As  soon  as  the  water  went  down,  drinking  water  was  taken  about  town  in  water 
cart?. 

7 


North  Dayton  lies  lower  than  any  other  section  of  the  city.  Industries  in 
this  part  of  the  city  suffered  heavy  losses.  On  one  roof  a  horse  and  mule  were 
stranded. 

About  one  hundred  people  were  in  the  buildings  which  burned,  but  as  far 
as  can  be  learned,  no  lives  were  lost. 

The  current  was  so  strong  in  some  places  that  steel  boats  were  crushed,  a 
street  car  landed  up-side-down  in  front  of  the  W.  C.  A.  building  and  immense 
stones  were  carried  great  distances. 

Eighty-five  thousand  people  were  taken  care  of  by  the  Relief  Stations.  The 
Red  Cross  Society  spent  $1,600,000.00.  Nine  or  ten  thousand  families  were 
registered  and  taken  care  of. 

The  levees  and  bridges  have  been  rebuilt  and  made  stronger.  Thousands 
of  tons  of  dirt  were  removed  from  the  streets.  Sixteen  districts  for  sanitation 
were  established  and  the  sanitation  committee  made  house-to-house  inspection.  The 
militia  has  protected  the  homes  and  business  houses  and  great  credit  is  due  to 
Adjutant  General  George  Wood. 

Fourteen  hundred  dead  horses  have  been  removed  from  the  streets. 

Every  one  is  optimistic.  The  outlook  for  Dayton  is  good.  Papers  are  full 
of  ads  for  help  wanted  and  big  buildings  will  be  erected  regardless  of  the  flood. 
Merchants  will  do  more  business  in  one  year  as  in  any  other  two  years. 

Governor  Cox  traveled  ten  days  visiting  the  twenty-six  towns  in  the  flood. 

In  the  San  Francisco  earthquake,  twenty-five  thousand  were  made  homeless 
and  the  loss  was  $600,000,000.00.  They  had  the  courage  to  rebuild  in  the  exact 
places  they  were  before  and  have  no  way  of  protecting  themselves  against  earth- 
quake. We  can  protect  ourselves  against  flood,  and  this  protection  we  will  have 
at  once  at  any  cost. 


CENTRAL  DISTRICT 


Water  Invading   Main   Street. 

This  picture  was  taken  at  exactly  9:00  a.m.,  Tuesday,  March  25,  1913.     Note  the  Auto 

in  lower  left  corner.     Taken  from  the  tenth  floor,  U.  B.  Bldg. 

Photo  copyright,  1913,  by  U.  B.  Publishing  House. 


Three  Feet  of  Water  in  Main  Street. 

Auto  shown  above  is  being  carried  away  by  the  current.  Photo  from  the  U    B    Bldg 
exactly  forty  minutes  after  the  first  picture  had  been  taken.     Photo  ' 
copyright,   1913,  by  the  U.  B.  Publishing  House. 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


Ten  Feet  of  Water  in  Main  Street. 

Taken  from  the  U.  B.  Bldg.,  at  1:00  p.m.,  Tuesday,  March,  25,  1913,  immediately  after  the  collapse 
of  the  Leonard  Building.  At  its  crest  the  flood  here  reached  a  depth  of  twelve  feet.  Thos  point  im 
one-half  block  from  the  business  center  of  Dayton.  Photo  copyright  1913,  by  the  U.  B.  Pub.  House. 


High  Water  in  West  Fourth  Street. 

At  the  First  U.  B.  Church,  three  blocks  west,  the  water  reached  a  depth  of  fifteen  feet.  To  the 
left  is  shown  the  Dayton  Bicycle  Club  and  the  Grace  M.  E.  Church.  Photo  copyright,  1913,  by  the 
U.  B.  Pub.  House. 

10 


CENTRAL  DISTRICT 


Getting  Rid  of  a  Part  of  the  Flood. 

This  pump  is  pouring  through  its  7-inch  mouth  a  miniature  flood  into  Main  Street. 
Shows  the  entrance  to  the  U.  B.  Building,  Dayton's  most  imposing  skyscraper. 


A  Small  Part  of  the  Ruined  Stock  of  the  U.  B.  Publishing  House. 

About  $60,000  of  merchandise  alone  was  lost  by  this  concern.     In  this  pile  of  refuse 
are  thousands  of  books,  including  hundreds  of  Bibles. 


11 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


As  the  Water  Looked  at  Night. 

D.avies   Building  and   Newsalt's   Jewelry   Store  to  the   left  and  the  Reibold   Building 
in  the  background.     Photo  copyright,  1913,  by  the  U.  B.  Publishing  House. 


Looking  West,  on  Third  Street  from  Main. 

Showing    Phillips    House    and    the    Arcade    Entrance.      This    corner    is    the   civic    and 

business  center  of  Dayton.     Note  the  high  water  mark  on  the 

Arcade  entrance  in  the  center. 

12 


CENTRAL  DISTRICT 


Boating  in  Maple  Street  near  Perry. 


Barney  and  Smith  Car  Works. 
This  company  is  one  of  the  heaviest  flood  losers. 

13 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


1 1 


Receding  Water  in  North  Main  Street. 
Photo  from  the  old  Court  House.    Heavy  stone  column  undermined  by  current. 


East  Third  Street,  from  Main. 

One  square  away  may  be  seen  the  ruins  of  buildings  left  by  the  great  fire 
which  threatened  the  whole  business  section. 

14 


CENTRAL  DISTRICT 


Poor  Chance  for  a  Boat  in  West  Third  Street. 

Arcade  entrance  in  center.     Dayton's  beautiful  wide  streets  gave  the  current 
an  excellent  chance  to  run  rampant.     It  did. 


Corner  of  Third  and  Ludlow. 
Showing  Algonquin  Hotel  and  the  new  Post-office  in  course  of  construction. 

15 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


A  Heavy  Traction  Car. 

Wrecked  by  the  fierce  current  that  swept  around  the  corner  of  Third  and  Ludlow. 


Another  Effect  of  the  Wild  Current. 

Residence  on  West  Third  Street  in  bad  plight.    State  Guardsman 
on  the  lookout  for  looters. 

16 


CENTRAL  DAYTON 


Fourth  Street,  East  of  Ludlow, 


Fourth  Street,  West  of  Ludlow. 

Central   District   School   to   right  of  center  and   First   U.   B.   Church    in  extreme  right. 
A  horse  swam  into  the  latter  building  and  found  safety  in  the  choir  loft. 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


South  Ludlow  from  Fourth. 
Photo  from  News  Building. 


Corner  of  Fourth  and  Ludlow. 
Grace  M.  E.  Church  and  swimming  horses.     Over  1,400  horses  perished  in  the  water. 

18 


CENTRAL  DAYTON 


Looking  from   Ludlow  into   Fifth. 

Showing   several   persons   caught    by   the   rapidly   rising  water. 
Man  to  right  is  wading  on  the  sidewalk. 


Fifth  and  Ludlow  an  hour  later 

Note  the  men  struggling  with  the  flood  on  debris  to  the  right. 

19 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


Looking  west  in  Fifth  Street  from  the  corner  of  Ludlow. 


After  effects  at  the  Union  Station 

Over  300  passengers  and  railroad  employees  were  marooned  on  the  second  floor  for 
three  days.     Diet — rainwater  and  chocolate  creams. 

20 


CENTRAL  DAYTON 


Flood  scene  looking  from  Fifth  Street  north  on  Ludlow. 
To  the  left  is  the  Colonial  Theatre  and  in  the  distance  the  Commercial  Building. 


South  on  Ludlow  from  Fifth. 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


The  Railroad  Bridge  over  the  Miami 

Responsible   to  some  extent  for  the   flood  damage   to   Dayton.     Until   it   was   carried 
away  it  formed  a  dam  that  helped  the  water  over  the  levees 


Loaded  coal  cars  were  run  on  to  the  railroad  bridge  to  hold  it  down,  but  to  no  avail. 
When  the  bridge  went  down  the  water  at  once  fell  18  inches. 


22 


CENTRAL  DAYTON 


Repairing  the  Railroad  Bridge. 

One  week  after  the  flood  the  work  was  completed.     The  railroads  lost  in  Dayton  alone 

property  valued  at  $10,000,000. 


Flood  scene  in  Edgemont. 

Several  persons  were  marooned  on  floating  debris  here   for  48   hours.     Photo   from 

S.   Summit  Street. 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


Flood  at  Corner  of  Main  and  Fifth. 
Photo  by  Bowersox. 


Looking  South  on  Main  from  Fifth. 
The   flooded    territory    extended   to    the    foot    of   the    hills    in    the    distance. 


•24 


CENTRAL  DAYTON 


The  Old  Log  Cabin. 

Built  in  1796  by  Dayton's  first  inhabitant.  Photo  shows  the  point  where  the  water 
first  invaded  the  downtown  district.  The  great  wonder  is  that  the  log  cabin  was 
not  washed  away.  Spectators  watched  the  water  here  until  the  water  reached 
their  knees.  They  never  dreamed  that  the  water  would  get  any  higher.  With  this 
idea  in  mind  it  is  not  so  strange  that  thousands  of  people  were  similarly  caught 
in  the  streets  of  the  city  and  had  finally  most  miraculous  escapes  from  death. 
There  must  be  some  sort  of  hypnotic  influence  exerted  by  an  angry  river  which 
puts  people  into  a  stupor  until  they  are  forcefully  awakened  by  the  cold  water 
rushing  upon  them. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 

To  the  Honorable  Messrs.  Woodrow  Wilson,  President  of  the  United  States 
and  James  M.  Cox,  Governor  of  Ohio,  who  provided  us  National  and  State  aid  of 
inestimable  value ;  to  the  National  Red  Cross  Society ;  to  those  valiant  heroes  who, 
forgetting  they  were  merely  mortal,  braved  the  elements  to  save  their  fellow- 
men  ;  to  Mr.  John  H.  Patterson,  our  leading  citizen  and  to  the  people  of  the 
United  State-,  Dayton  acknowledges  undying  gratitude.  Your  sympathy  ex- 
tended in  a  thousand  practical  ways  has  put  courage  into  a  hundred  thousand 
hearts  and  has  saved  from  a  beautiful  city,  the  sinister  effects  of  a  great  calamity. 

Our  prayer  is  to  Almighty  God  the  ruler  of  the  elements,  that  so  long  as 
human  suffering  remains  so  long  may  our  citizens  be  ready  to  come  to  the  re- 
lief of  their  distressed  fellow-men. 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


Looking  toward  the  corner  of  Main  and  Second. 

The  Rike-Kumler  Building  in  the  foreground.    This  company,  which  is  one  of  the  best 

equipped  department  stores  in  the  country,  lost  tremendously  by  the 

flood,    but    is    now    running    its    business    as    before. 


First   Presbyterian   Church   on    the  corner. 
The  flood  left  Dayton  churches  in  as  pitiable  condition  as  the  homes  and  stores. 

26 


CENTRAL  DAYTON 


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•        I 


i  i 


I       I 
•.'  -PHI  i 


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Another  view  in  West  Second  Street. 

Showing  a  corner  of  the  Rike-Kumler   Building  to  the  right. 


Receding  water  at  the  corner  of  Third  Street  and  Robert  Boulevard. 
Note  the  high  water  mark  on  the  building. 


27 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


Flood  Tide  at  Third  and  Jefferson. 

All  the  buildings  shown  in  this  picture  were  burned  a  short  time  later.  Lo-^e  Bros. 
Paint  Store  made  good  kindling  for  the  blaze  as  well  as  several  other  large  paint 
stores  in  this  block.  The  buildings  in  the  background  are  .the  .scene  .of  escape  of 
28  people  from  fire  as  well  as  water.  See  Kirkbride's  story  .  on  page  34. 


No  story  from  the  Dayton  flood  district  has  been  more  widely  circulated 
and  at  the  same  time  so  greatly  distorted  as  the  one  we  have  been  fortunate 
enough  to  secure  and  print  below.  Newspapers  all  over  the  country  printed 
the  Kirkbride  incident  which  we  give  as  corrected  by  Mr.  Kirkbride  himself. 
When  one  stops  to  contemplate  the  magnitude  of  the  flood  and  fire  disaster  in 
Dayton,  he  wonders  how  it  was  that  so  many  thousands  of  people  escaped  with 
their  lives.  The  story  below  tells  why,  and  it  is  but  one  of  hundreds  of  thrilling 
escapes  which  go  to  prove  that  it  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  so  corner  an  adult 

28 


CENTRAL  DISTRICT 


High  water  in  South  Jefferson  Street. 
A  show  that  the  Jewel  Theater  had  not  booked  and  no  amateur  performance  at  that. 


liinacn  being  that  lie  will  not  be  able,  as  a  rule,  to  escape  death.  A  man  some- 
times does  not  know  his  strength  till  some  emergency  gives  his  brain  and  muscle 
the  proper  stimulus.  Yon  will  be  in  teicsted  in  this  story,  which  follows  exactly 
as  told  by  Mr.  Kirkbride. 

At  6 :30  Tuesday  morning  we  were  aroused  by  people  passing  down  the  street 
telling  every  one  that  the  river  would  soon  go  over  its  banks  and  that  they  should 
all  prepare  for  a  flood.  At  that  time  the  water  was  backing  up  in  front  of  our 
house,  we  living  just  a  square  from  the  lowest  point  in  the  down-town  district. 
I  waded  through  water  about  eighteen  inches  deep  for  half  a  square,  readied  dry 
land  and  made  my  way  down  town.  Nothing  seemed  to  be  unusual.  The  people 

29 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


Flood   Scene   in   East   Third,   near   Jefferson. 
Showing  some  of  the  guests  of  the  Beckel  House 


were  walking  around  the  streets  the  same  as  any  other  day  at  that  hour.  I  made 
my  way  to  the  office  which  is  about  seven  squares  from  home.  No  water  could 
be  seen  in  either  direction  from  our  front  door.  Thinking  that  the  flood  scare 
did  not  amount  to  much,  I  went  to  a  restaurant  and  got  breakfast.  When  I  re- 
turned to  the  office  the  porter  was  on  hand  and  we  started  to  get  our  merchandise 
out  of  the  basement  to  the  first  floor.  This  was  probably  8 :30  and  the  water  was 
then  coming  over  the  levee  and  rushing  down  Third  Street. 

The  force  of  the  current  came  directly  across  the  Library  Square  and  rushed 
down  Third  Street.  After  we  had  waded  around  up  to  our  waists  trying  to  take 
books  and  valuable  papers  to  the  second  floor,  we  gave  up  and  decided  it  was  of 


CENTRAL  DAYTON 


Looking  north  on  Jefferson,  from  the  corner  of  Third. 

The  more  a  man  knows  about  water  the  more  helpless  he  .feels  against  such  a  current. 


no  use  to  continue  salvage  operations.  We  went  to  the  front  window  on  the 
second  floor  that  we  might  see  the  current  carrying  away  the  debris  as  it  passed 
our  building.  We  saw  a  boy,  clutching  a  piece  of  wood,  come  whirling  around 
from  St.  Clair  Street  on  to  Third.  He  got  footing  in  front  of  our  place  in  the 
eddy  and  we  helped  him  in,  took  him  up  stairs,  rubbed  him  with  towels,  gave  him 
a  stimulant,  and  the  only  clothes  we  had  to  offer  him,  which  was  my  cravenette. 

The  water  was  rising  very  rapidly  at  the  rate  of  about  one  inch  a  minute. 
We  noticed  the  proprietor  of  he  moving  picture  show  immediately  across  the 
street  from  us,  in  the  reel  room.  He  seemed  to  be  quite  content  the  first  few 
hours,  but  after  the  water  had  reached  a  level  of  about  seven  feet,  he  showed  the 

31 


Street  Map  of  the   City  of  Dayton 


STREET  MAP 

or  JME 


Copyright.   1910,  by  F.  J.  CELLARIUS,  Dayton,  Ohio 


32 


Shaded  part  shows  Flooded  District. 


Used  by  Permission 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


We  brought  28  people  including  women  and  children  out  of  this  fire  block. 


distress  sign  by  putting  his  head  and  shoulders  out  of  the  window  of  the  reel 
room  and  making  wild  jesticulations.  The  rush  of  water  on  that  side  of  the 
street  was  so  ferocious  that  our  calls  to  the  men  on  the  second  floor  of  the  build- 
ing adjoining  the  moving  picture  show,  could  not  be  heard.  We  megaphoned 
to  them  and  by  signaling,  managed  to  let  them  know  that  the  man  was  in  distress. 
One  of  them  crawled  down  on  the  cornice  and  threw  a  rope  to  him.  He  tied  it 
around  his  body  below  the  arms  and  jumped  into  the  water.  Four  men  at  the 
other  end  of  the  rope,  by  very  skillful  maneuvers  which  were  almost  entirely 
directed  by  us  from  across  the  way,  managed  to  pull  him  through  the  window. 
We  slept  the  rest  of  the  morning.  About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  walls 
of  the  drug  store  on  the  corner  fell.  This  being  only  about  seventy  feet  from  our 
building,  we  thought  it  best  to  move.  We  climbed  to  the  fourth  story  by  means 
of  a  ladder,  crawled  up  through  the  hatch  to  the  roof.  We  found  that  all  the 
people  in  our  square  had  done  the  same  thing.  Our  building  being  the  first  one 
of  the  four  story  buildings  on  the  square,  we  did  a  good  deal  of  rescuing  of  people 
in  the  lower  buildings  between  us  and  the  corner,  who  had  also  crawled  to  the 
roofs.  By  means  of  a  rope  we  pulled  two  women  and  five  men  off  the  roof  of 
the  Finke  Brothers'  Notion  Store.  Then  in  the  rear  and  from  the  roof  of  a 
building  west  of  us,  we  rescued  a  man,  his  wife  and  little  boy,  who  were  standing 

34 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 

on  a  very  low  shed,  the  peak  of  which  was  just  out  of  the  water.  The  building 
on  which  they  stood  was  about  fifteen  feet  from  the  foot  of  the  building  on  which 
we  were  standing.  We  threw  a  rope  to  them  and  the  man  tied  it  around  his  wife'* 
body  just  under  the  arms  and  about  ten  of  us  men  on  the  roof  managed  to  pull 
her  up  on  to  the  building.  There  was  a  stretch  of  fifteen  feet  over  which  she  ha<£ 
to  swing  before  we  could  pull  her  up.  Not  being  accustomed  to  such  gymnastics v 
she  bruised  herself  badly  by  striking  against  the  wall.  But  the  man  and  little  boy 
profited  by  her  experience  and  were  able  to  break  the  force  of  the  blow  with 
their  feet.  It  continued  to  rain  the  rest  of  the  day  and  we  killed  time  by  walking 
around  on  the  roofs  of  the  nine  buildings  which  are  all  one  level.  One  builck 
ing  was  occupied  by  the  Kiefaber  Company,  Commission  Merchants,  where  w$ 
found  lots  of  apples  and  grape  fruit.  The  W.  L.  Adamson  Company,  wholesale 
grocers,  supplied  us  with  canned  goods  and  tobacco.  In  Evans  Brothers'  whole^ 
sale  drug  house  we  secured  playing  cards,  and  playing  on  boxet 
and  benches,  during  the  rain,  helped  to  pass  the  time  away. 

At  6:00  in  the  evening  we  all  went  to  sleep  installing  ourselves  in  the  Chas, 
A.  Cooper  Company's  building  on  the  second  floor  where  they  kept  a  large 
ply  of  lap  robes  and  horse  blankets.  The  display  tables  which  extended 
length  of  the  building,  we  made  use  of  as  beds.  There  were  five  women, 
boy  about  twelve  years  old,  and  twenty-two  men.  Two  men  formed  the  lookout 
every  hour  measured  the  rising  stage  of  the  water.  The  highest  stage  wast 
reached  at  twelve  o'clock  Tuesday  night.  This  was  eight  feet  and  eight  inches 
on  the  floor  of  our  building.  This  meant  about  eleven  feet  on  Third  Street. 

Our  supply  of  drinking  water  was  obtained  from  three  galvanized  iron  tubs, 
which  we  placed  on  the  roof.  These  three  tubs  in  about  for  hours  would  catch 
a  bucket  of  water. 

On  Wednesday,  we  all  arose  early,  had  our  breakfast  of  canned  goods  o£ 
every  description  and  the  men  went  to  the  roof  for  the  morning  smoke  regardless, 
of  the  pouring  rain.  Our  rule  was  "No  Smoking  Below  the  Roof."  About 
one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  Wednesday,  those  in  the  front  of  the  store  look^. 
ing  out  of  the  window,  noticed  the  fire  which  originated  in  the  drug  store  on  th^ 
corner  of  Third  and  St.  Clair  Streets.  There  was  a  high  wind  blowing  from  th^ 
north  and  east  which  fanned  the  fire  and  it  was  only  a  matter  of  a  few  minutea 
until  the  two  buildings  on  the  corner  were  ablaze.  Everybody  went  to  the  roofv 
A  man  whom  we  had  taken  from  a  boat  and  who  had  spent  the  night  in  Library 
Park  in  a  tree,  was  the  last  one  to  reach  the  roof,  as  he  had  been  sleeping  between 
blankets  and  had  to  dress.  He  and  I  went  to  the  roof  together.  I  closed  the/ 
hatches  of  the  nine  buildings  to  make  sure  that  the  fire  would  not  jump.  I  knew 
there  were  fire  walls  between  these  buildings  and  that  unless  we  gave  the  fire  a. 
good  opportunity,  it  would  be  rather  slow  in  reaching  us.  WTe  all  moved  west 
over  the  roofs  to  the  last  one  of  the  four-story  buildings  which  was  occupied  by 
Sol  Rauh  &  Sons  Company.  There  we  went  down  through  the  hatch  and  down  ih§ 
stair?  to  the  second  floor,  leaving  the  building  from  the  rear  window.  By 
climbing  around  on  low  roofs,  soaked  with  water,  we  got  into  the  Beckel  Buikk 

35 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 

ing,  occupied  by  the  Fourth  National  Bank,  which  is  on  the  corner  and  just  one 
block  from  where  the  fire  started.  It  was  very  cold  and  there  were  but  few  of 
us  who  had  wraps  or  overcoats.  Nearly  every  one  wore  blankets  taken  from 
the  Chas.  Cooper  Company.  We  also  carried  provisions  and  water  along  with 
us.  The  fire  gained  headway  rapidly  and  one  at  a  time  the  buildings  caught,  the 
fire  moving  directly  toward  us.  The  fire  walls  seemed  to  have  no  resistance  what- 
ever but  I  learned  later  that  it  traveled  along  the  cornice  from  building  to  build- 
ing and  the  strong  wind  moved  it  right  in  and  flames  would  curl  around  the 
walls,  break  the  windows  and  then  the  suction  would  draw  the  flames  inside. 
We  thought  it  best  to  move  north  on  Jefferson  Street  toward  the  river,  as  we 
would  gain  higher  ground  by  going  in  that  direction.  We  left  the  Fourth 
National  Bank  Building,  crawled  over  the  roof  of  the  Traction  Depot,  into  the 
side  entrance  of  a  building  and  traveled  north  on  the  cornices  to  the  Simms 
Building  on  the  corner  of  the  alley.  We  could  not  cross  the  alley,  the  water 
being  probably  eight  feet  deep.  The  current  was  strong  so  that  it  was  impossible 
for  any  one  to  swim.  By  means  of  a  rope  we  got  the  women  across  the  alley 
with  food  provisions  and  water.  The  men  followed.  We  reached  Groneweg's 
bindery  from  the  window  in  the  south  side  and  again  made  our  way  north  by 
passing  from  building  to  building  around  the  cornices.  Where  the  cornices  were 
not  on  a  level,  we  stretched  a  rope  from  window  to  window  as  a  hold,  and  where 
they  were  unusually  dangerous  we  stretched  two  ropes  and  the  women  crawled 
between  them.  When  we  reached  the  Johnson  Printing  Company,  we  were  able 
to  walk  with  perfect  ease,  the  cornice  being  wider.  We  passed  through  the 
printing  establishment  to  the  rear  window  and  then  by  means  of  a  ladder  reached 
the  low  roofs  of  out  buildings  and  entered  a  residence  on  Second  Street.  Of 
course,  as  we  traveled  from  the  bank  building  north,  all  the  places  being  occupied 
and  everybody  wishing  to  reach  safety,  there  were  about  seventy-five  who  were 
in  this  residence.  The  weight  being  so  great,  the  men  were  fearful  that  it  might 
collapse.  By  means  of  a  ladder,  we  overflowed  into  Geiger's  residence  which 
was  the  next  door  east.  From  there  we  took  to  the  water,  made  our  way  across 
Second  Street,  some  going  north  and  some  west  to  the  Rike-Kumler  building. 
The  water  on  Second  Street  was  then  up  to  our  shoulders.  The  current  was  so 
strong  that  we  would  not  have  been  able  to  cross  Second  Street  had  it  not  been 
for  the  rope  which  we  managed  to  get  across  and  had  securely  fastened  at  each 
end. 

It  was  rather  hard  to  keep  track  of  the  time  and  I  noticed  my  watch  had 
stopped  at  twenty  minutes  after  six.  We  had  been  nearly  six  hours  and  had  only 
traveled  two  and  one-half  squares.  The  fire  had  by  this  time  burned  the  buildings 
which  we  had  first  occupied  and  was  gradually  traveling  toward  us.  Most  of  the 
low  buildings  in  the  rear  and  up  to  the  alley  were  ablaze.  Five  of  us  spent  the 
night  at  the  Iddings  residence  at  the  corner  of  First  and  Jefferson  streets.  We 
felt  safe  here  as  we  were  one  square  away  from  the  burning  block  and  the  wind 
was  blowing  away  from  us. 

The  next  morning  at  about  six  o'clock,  we  left  Iddings  and  waded  through 
the  water  across  Jefferson  Street,  west  on  First  to  the  Victoria  Theatre,  then 


CENTRAL  DISTRICT 


Steele   High   School   Building 

Suffered  from  the  violence  of  the  current. 


north  on  Main  Street  and  reached  dry  land  in  front  of  the  Peckham  garage 
on  Alain  Street,  which  is  about  the  highest  point  in  the  down-town  dis- 
trict. There  was  water  east,  west,  and  south  and  the  river  on  the  north.  I  went 
to  the  home  of  J.  W.  Johnson  on  Monument  Avenue  where  I  changed  my  clothes 
and  started  to  look  for  food  and  water.  It  was  very  cold,  snow  was  falling-  and 
every  one  was  in  distress.  The  gas  had  not  been  turned  on,  of  course,  and  few 
people  had  coal  and  no  alcohol  at  the  drug  stores.  The  first  warm  food  we  had 
we  got  at  a  £oup  house  temporarily  installed  at  the  engine  house.  AYe  waited  our 
turn  in  line  which  was  fully  a  square  long. 

37 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


Looking  north  up  the  Miami  and  Erie  Canal. 

To  the  right  and  to  the  left  in  St.  Clair  Street.     Photo  from  Fifth  Street  Canal  Viaduct. 

In   1866  this  canal  caused  a  flood  which  reached  a  depth  of  over 

four  feet  in   Main   Street. 


Looking  West  in  Fifth  Street  from  the  Canal. 
Snow  added  to  the  sufferings  of  refugees  in  attics  and  on  housetops. 


CENTRAL  DAYTON 


East  Third  Street  from  Wayne  Avenue. 


FRANK 

PRESCRIPTION 

7fcm.ru   CAN  Off 


West  Third  Street  from   Crescent. 

The  water  here  reached  a  depth  of  over  15  feet  completely  overtopping 
the  street  car  in  the  center. 


BUSINESS  DISTRICT 


The   remains  of   the  West   Fifth   Street   Bridge   over   the    Miami. 

Our   steel   concrete   bridges    held    like   adamant   and   one   of   this    sort   will 
replace  this  old  steel  and  masonry  type. 


Miller's  Bridge,  South  of  Dayton. 

No  chance  for  such  a  bridge  to  outlive  the  flood. 


40 


CENTRAL  DISTRICT 


View  along  the  Miami  and  Erie  Canal.    Puzzle — Find  the  Canal. 


Scene  in  Riverdale  Street. 


DAYTON  VIEW 


The  Dayton  View  Bridge. 

Hundreds   of   flood   victims  were   brought   to   safety   across   this    bridge. 
Organization  of  Dayton  View  was  unsurpassed. 


The    Relief 


RESOLVED !— Since  the  Flood 

That  the  definition  of  luxury  depends  upon  your  environment. 
That  a  little  candle  makes  a  good  light. 

That  eggs  may  be  fried  in  a  furnace,  but  that  success  depends  upon  ex- 
perience. 

That  rain  water  is  better  than  no  drink  at  all. 
That  Mr.  Patterson  should  be  our  next  President. 
That  a  gasoline  stove  is  the  height  of  luxury. 
That  he  is  lucky  who  ordered  enough  coal. 
That  Major  Rhoads  knows  his  business. 

That  it  is  a  blamed  peculiar  sensation  to  have  a  khaki-clad  youngster  assume 
charge  of  your  automobile  when  you  are  in  a  big  hurry  to  go  the  other  way. 

That  we  have  had  our  last  flood. 

That  water  is  all  right  in  its  place. 

That  we  are  glad  the  N.  C.  R.  is  on  high  ground. 

That  there  is  no  country  on  earth  like  the  old  U.  S.  A.  and  no  heart  so  big 
as  an  American's. 

That  the  elements  must  "go  some"  to  get  the  average  Daytonian. 
That  a  man  don't  know  his  strength  until  he  must! 
That  the  Hood  left  the  best  there  is  in  us — courage! 

42 


DAYTON  VIEW 


The  Up-stream,  or  East  Side  of  Dayton  View  Bridge. 

Showing  the  flood  high  above  the  apertures  of  the  bridge  and  the  latter 
clogged  with  wrecked  houses. 


Down  Stream  or  West  Side  of  Dayton  View   Bridge. 
Note   the  swell   of  the  water   as   it  sweeps  under  the  bridge. 


RIVERDALE 


Rescue    Scene   in    Grand    Avenue. 

Refugees  being  brought  in  and  food  and  clothing  being  taken  to  marooned  sufferers. 
Heroic    rescue    work    centered    at    this    point. 


Looking  East  in  Lehman  Street  and  along   Riverdale   Levee. 

Marked  by  trees  to  the  right.     This  is  the  lowest  part  of  Riverdale   and  great  havoc 

was  done  here. 


44 


RIVERDALE 


Looking  East  on  Palmer  from  Forest  Avenue. 

One  block  down  this  street  the  water  was  fifteen  feet  deep.     McKinley  Park  to  right. 


Another  View  of  the  Lehman  Street  Levee. 

Showing  the   Main   Street    Bridge   and   Steel   High   School  in   the   distance. 
Riverdale  houses  made  their  exit  through  this  channel. 


Many 


RIVERDALE 


Rescue  work  being  carried  on  to  the  north  of  Main  Street  Bridge  in  Riverdale. 


Another  Rescue  Scene  in  Riverdale. 

Photo  from  the  bridge 

46 


RIVERDALE 


Levee  at  the   Riverdale  end  of  the  Steele   Dam. 

Showing  how  the  current  by  flowing  over  the  levee  wore  it  down.     The  levee 

did   not   break. 


The  White  City  Bridge. 
It  will  require  some  work  to  put  White  City  back  on  the  map  as  an  amusement  park. 

47 


NORTH  DAYTON 


Wrecked  House  in  North  Dayton. 
15,000  families  were  either  permanently  or  temporarily  rendered  homeless  by  the  flood. 


48 


NORTH  DAYTON 


Valley  Street  at  Corner  of  Troy. 


Grocery  Store  at  the  Corner  of  Troy  and  Valley  Sts.,  North  Dayton. 


49 


NORTH  DAYTON 


Troy  Street,  looking  South  from  Leonard  St.,  North  Dayton. 


The  North  End  of  Troy  Street. 

Photo  from  Leonard  Street,   North  Dayton. 


NORTH  DAYTON 


Another  Scene  of   Destruction  in  North   Dayton. 


High  Water  in  North  Dayton. 


51 


NORTH  DAYTON 


North  Dayton  is  the  Lowest  Part  of  the  City.  1 


This   is   not  an   unusual    sight,   as   almost   every  block   in  the   city 
has  houses  in  such  disorder. 


52 


NORTH  DAYTON 


For  many  days  every  person  in  the  city  was  dependent  upon  charity  for  their  food. 

Clothing  and  fuel  were  given  out  also.     Millionaires  were  as 

helpless  to  buy  provisions  as  paupers. 


Nearly  15,000  Homes  were  Flood  Bound. 

Some  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  city  were  affected  as  well  as 
the   lowly   cottage   of   the   poorest  citizen. 

53 


SOUTH  PARK 


Looking  North  from  the  Fairgrounds,  and  West  of  Main  Street  at  Apple. 
One-story  cottages  in  distress. 


Another  View  from  the  Fairgrounds. 

Many  thrilling  rescues  were  made  here.    The  current  was  very  dangerous. 

54 


SOUTH  PARK 


Looking  North  from  Fairgrounds,  near  Corner  of  Main  and  Apple. 

Skyscrapers  in  Business  District  in  distance.     From  this  point  tlie 
flooded  territory  extended  three  miles  north. 


Corner  of  Main  and  Apple  Streets. 
From  which  point,  Mr.  Patterson  directed  heroic  rescue  work. 


SOUTH  PARK 


Looking  South  in  Main  Street  from  Apple. 

Escaping  to  dry  land  by  walking  on  aerial  telephone  cables.     Thirty  men  and  women 

walked  three  squares   on  these  wires  when   the  grocery  at  Main 

and  Vine  exploded,  setting  fire  to  their  block. 


South  Main  Street,  looking  North  from  Apple. 

A  string  of  loaded  freight  cars  was  pushed  through  the  water  on  the  street  railway 

tracks   to  assist   in  rescue  work.     The  house   to  the   right  is 

floating  in  the  middle  of  Main  Street. 


56 


SOUTH  PARK 


Burns  Avenue  in  Southeast  Dayton. 

Where  many  lives  were  lost  in  the  violent  current.     Whole  blocks  of  houses 
were  carried  away  and  no  traces  of  them  found. 


Looking  East  on  Apple  Street  from  Main.     Receding  Water. 


57 


SOUTH  PARK 


Some  of  the  Destruction  on  Burns  Avenue. 
Taken  at  the  corner  of  Morton. 


When  the  Water  Went  Down. 

After  three  days'  rampage,  some  streets  were  hardly  recognizable. 

58 


SOUTH  PARK 


South  Brown  Street,  looking  North  from  Wyoming. 


Showing  Rescue  Work  in  South  Brown  Street. 
One  can  hardly  imagine   the  water  within   two   squares   of  Woodland   Cemetery. 


WEST  DAYTON 


West  of  Negley  Place 

Showing  part  of  Miami   City  and  the  bridge  across  Wolf  Creek. 


Near  the  Corner  of  Grimes  and  Edgewater  in  Miami  City. 
The  horse  in  the  center  distance  is  standing  on  the  levee. 


oo 


WEST  DAYTON 


, 

' 


Rear  of  Grimes  Street  at  Edgewater. 


Looking  South  of  Negley  Place. 
On  a  part  of  Miami  City. 


61 


WEST  DAYTON 


The  Western  Edge  of  the  Flood  on  West  Third  Street 

Extended  to  the  Malleable  Iron  Works  beyond  Conover  Street. 


Looking  East  from  Conover  Street  into  West  Third. 
Near  the  railroad  crossing  at  Conover  Street. 

62 


V/EST  DAYTON 


F  ood  Ruins  on  Third  Street,  near  Mound,  looking  South. 


The  Western  Edge  of  the  Flood  on  West  Fifth  Street 
Extended  to  Conover  Street. 


GENERAL  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or  on  the 

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__ i 


UOV1 


21-100m-l,'54(1887sl6)476 


THE  OTTERBKIN  PI 
DAYTON,  OHIO 


Gay  lord  Bros.,  Inc. 

Stockton,  Calif. 
T.M.  Reg.  U.S.  Pat.  Off. 


M144583 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


